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It’s Christmastime again, and we all know what that means. It’s time to watch some of the thousands ofChristmasspecials, at least half of which are probably those Hallmark movieswith one plot. We all know the famous specials, but it’s also fun to discover some of the more infamous titles out there.
Real holiday fans might remember the novelty song “Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer.“It’s a humorous title about exactly that: a grandmother who gets run down and killed by Santa’s sleigh. Very festive, huh? But how many listeners thought that the three-minute parody song deserved a full one-hour TV adaptation? Well, in 2000, that’s what happened. TheGrandma Got Run Over By a Reindeerspecial is one of the most"unique” holiday titlesout there. It mostly lives on in memes today but does enjoy a cult following this time of year. But it’s also very hard to find, with few TV airings and no clear streaming home. So why is it fading into obscurity? Let’s take a look at this special and why fans of unconventional Christmas flicks should put this one on the list. If they can find it, that is.
The Plot of ‘Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer’
Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer
The title of the"Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer” songtells you everything you need to know. It’s about a grandmother who’s hit by Santa’s sleigh and dies in the snow. The rest of the lyrics talk about how the family is grieving her death around the Christmas season. Isn’t that a festive holiday story? It doesn’t exactly seem like the most likely song to receive the Christmas special treatment. TheGrandma Got Run Over By a Reindeerspecial was first released on home video in October 2000, with its first TV airing on The WB during Christmas 2001. It follows the same general setup as the song, with about 45 more minutes of extra material.
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For a quick recap, theobscure Christmas specialfollows a family grandmother who operates a small-town general store in a rapidly industrializing city. Does she have a first name? We don’t know. Literally everyone, family or not, calls her Grandma. As you could guess, she’s run down by a reindeer while leaving her grandson Jake’s house on Christmas Eve. Jake and Grandpa (also called that by everyone) witness the collision. However, the rest of the family just assumes that Jake was dreaming and Grandpa is senile. Since this is a kids' special, they don’t find Grandma’s mangled body in the snow. She just disappears instead, having been taken back to the North Pole by Santa to recover. Grandma remains missing and unable to be identified by Santa for months until Jake sends an email to the North Pole asking about her. Apparently, that’s a thing you can do.
The only problem is that Cousin Mel, offhandedly mentioned in one lyric in the song, wants Grandma to stay missing so she can sell the general store. The remainder of the special then morphs into an odd courtroom drama when Santa Claus is charged with Grandma’s disappearance. Of course, Jake, Grandma, and Santa are able to clear up the whole misunderstanding by the end, just in time to save Christmas and the family.
How Can You Watch ‘Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer?’
It really is something you have to see to believe.The convoluted storyline, disjointed plot, and bizarre musical numbers are the stuff of meme legend. Just search “Grandpa’s Gonna Sue the Pants Off a' Santa” on YouTube. That’s an actual song performed by Cousin Mel and her lawyer in the special. And it’s… something. There’s also “Grandma’s Spending Christmas With the Superstars,” where Grandpa sings about how his presumed-murdered wife is dating Elvis in heaven. Yeah… They were really just trying everything here.
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So where can you watch this? For those who haven’t cut the cable cord yet,Grandmais shown on The CW every year around late November or early December. It gets trickier if you just have streaming.It’s not available on any major streaming platforms, yet it can still be found. The entire special is streaming for free onVimeo, as well as in multiple separate parts onYouTube. It can be watched on The CW’s app andwebsitein addition to their linear channel. And since it’s nearly 25 years old, there are physical DVD and VHS copies out there for purchase.
Anyone who is even slightly a Christmas special fan should check it out. Despite the wild plot, it still focuses on the feel-good story of a grandson who just wants Grandma home for the holidays. And you really need to take in those musical numbers. The memes don’t do them justice. Sure,Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeerisn’t exactly at thelevel of Rudolphor Frosty. But it doesn’t have to be, as it’s a crazy ride you have to see to believe.
